Jizo is one of the most popular and beloved of Japanese divinities because he works tirelessly to ease the suffering and shorten the sentence of those who fall into hell. He is also a guardian of children, expectant mothers, travelers and farmers. All across Japan you will see him, generally weathered, his carved stone edges worn and rounded. Images of the gentle Jizo, the eternal guardian, are typically carved in granite or volcanic rock and placed at crossroads, where his presence is security for those traveling the roads, or on the grounds of a temple, where he will be asked to assist those in need. Because of their role in protecting travelers, stone images of Jizo were extremely prevalent at roadside shrines in the old days. Today, one still finds them clustered in open subsidiary shrines within the precincts of major Buddhist temples. Smaller granite Jizo statues are quite rare to find in Japan today, and this example is a wonderful representation of the gentle and compassionate nature of this most beloved deity.

Originating from Sado Island, the gentle Jizo is one of the most popular and revered Buddhist deities in Japan. He is guardian to children, travelers, pregnant women and farmers. Images of Jizo are typically carved in granite or volcanic rock and placed at crossroads, where his presence is security for those traveling the roads, or on the grounds of a temple, where he will be asked to assist those in need. Because of their role in protecting travelers, stone images of Jizo were extremely prevalent at roadside shrines in the old days. Today, one still finds them clustered in open subsidiary shrines within the precincts of major Buddhist temples.

What makes this stone Jizo so unique is the fact that he is wearing a silk bib, which would have been placed on the statue by people who wanted Jizo to protect the soul of a loved one. Pilgrims and worshippers would tie bib-like cloth aprons around the necks of stone Jizo figures as an act of devotion, as in the group of one hundred Jizo images at Kiyomizudera in Kyoto. Since Jizo is the guardian of children, parents would often bring little garments, hats or bibs and dress the statue in hopes that Jizo would specially protect their child both in this world or in the afterlife. This long silk bib is beautifully decorated using the shibori dyeing technique and hand painted blossoms and bamboo, which were highlighted in very tiny gold embroidered threads.

Jizo is one of the most popular and beloved of Japanese divinities because he works tirelessly to ease the suffering and shorten the sentence of those who fall into hell. He is also a guardian of children, expectant mothers, travelers and farmers. All across Japan you will see him, generally weathered, his carved stone edges worn and rounded. Images of the gentle Jizo, the eternal guardian, are typically carved in granite or volcanic rock and placed at crossroads, where his presence is security for those traveling the roads, or on the grounds of a temple, where he will be asked to assist those in need. Because of their role in protecting travelers, stone images of Jizo were extremely prevalent at roadside shrines in the old days. Today, one still finds them clustered in open subsidiary shrines within the precincts of major Buddhist temples. Smaller granite Jizo statues are quite rare to find in Japan today, and this example is a wonderful representation of the gentle and compassionate nature of this most beloved deity.

The Japanese artistic tradition includes a large number of imaginary creatures. The Baku, like so many mythical beings, is a curious mingling of various animals. First chronicled in Shinto mythology, this creature is described as having a hairy head with a long proboscis like an elephant’s trunk, two tusks, four claws on each foot, a spiny backbone, a spotted hide, and the tail of an ox. Baku are considered to be a generally benevolent creatures which stalk the dreamscape, devouring the evil demons that cause nightmares. Superstitious people of Edo era Japan believed that bad dreams were caused by evil spirits. It was believed that if the Baku could be induced to eat a horrible dream, the creature had the power to change it into good fortune. When a person awakens from a nightmare, he should call out immediately to the Baku to eat his bad dreams. According to Shinto legend, the Baku will promptly consume the evil entity responsible for these nocturnal terrors and bestow good fortune upon whoever has called out to him. As architectural elements, Baku were thought to protect the entrance to Buddhist temples and were placed under the roof of religious structures to ward off evil spirits. To insure the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s peaceful eternal rest, numerous sculptures of Baku are found at the Tosho-gu Shrine in Nikko, which houses his mausoleum. This pair of Baku kibana originated from Kumamoto prefecture in Japan, once known as a powerful shogunate. Architectural temple elements, particularly those in the form of a baku and in pairs, are quite rare, and they are seldom seen on the market today. (A comparable pair of mounted Baku kibana, lot #290, sold at Sotheby’s in New York on March 24, 1999, for $11,500.)

Along with Kannon Bodhistattva (Godess of Mercy), Jizo is perhaps the most popular deity of the common people. He incorporates attributes from both Buddhist traditions and from earlier Shinto beliefs and Shinto kami (deities). He is guardian to children and travelers and pregnant women. Most Jizo statues hold a jewel in the left hand and a staff in the right hand, forming the standard iconography of this deity. Jizo is also often portrayed in the "one foot slightly forward" pose to indicate that Jizo is walking in the present world.

Generically called “kibana” (shrine or temple roof support finials), these wooden architectural ornaments were typically carved in the form of mythical beasts. (Kibana in this particular form were known as “zobana,” literally “an elephant's nose.") The Japanese artistic tradition includes a large number of imaginary creatures, including the Baku. Like so many mythical beings, the baku is a curious mingling of various animals. First chronicled in Shinto mythology, this creature is described as having a hairy head with a long proboscis like an elephant’s trunk, two tusks, four claws on each foot, a spiny backbone, a spotted hide, and the tail of an ox. Baku are considered to be a generally benevolent creatures which stalk the dreamscape, devouring the evil demons that cause nightmares. Superstitious people of Edo era Japan believed that bad dreams were caused by evil spirits. It was believed that if the Baku could be induced to eat a horrible dream, the creature had the power to change it into good fortune. When a person awakens from a nightmare, he should call out immediately to the Baku to eat his bad dreams. According to Shinto legend, the Baku will promptly consume the evil entity responsible for these nocturnal terrors and bestow good fortune upon whoever has called out to him.

As architectural elements, Baku were thought to protect the entrance to Buddhist temples or Shinto shrines and were placed under the roof of religious structures to ward off evil spirits. To insure the Shogun Tokugawa Ieyasu’s peaceful eternal rest, numerous sculptures of Baku are found at the Tosho-gu Shrine in Nikko, which houses his mausoleum. Wooden architectural ornaments, particularly those in the form of a baku heads, are quite rare and seldom seen on the market today. This is an excellent pair, with great personality, style and significant age.

This image is made in the ancient technique known as “yosegi-zukuri” (joined wood construction). The statue was composed of many partly hollow blocks of wood (hinoki cypress) that were carved and assembled into one piece based on calculated ratios. The detailed figure was then carved from the block composite, painted with black lacquer and finally covered in gold leaf. In addition to being lighter than figures carved from one solid piece of wood, this technique made the statues less prone to cracking and splitting as the wood dried.

The gentle Jizo is one of the most popular and revered Buddhist deities in Japan. He is guardian to children and travelers and pregnant women. All across Japan you will see him, generally weathered, his carved stone edges worn and rounded. Images of Jizo, the eternal guardian, are typically carved in granite or volcanic rock and placed at crossroads, where his presence is security for those traveling the roads, or on the grounds of a temple, where he will be asked to assist those in need. Because of their role in protecting travelers, stone images of Jizo were extremely prevalent at roadside shrines in the old days. Today, one still finds them clustered in open subsidiary shrines within the precincts of major Buddhist temples. This granite image of Jizo is a wonderful representation of the gentle and compassionate nature of this most beloved deity.